mercredi 2 mai 2012

Wave Rock

It was time to start
heading back towards Perth. Time to leave the goldfields and discover the wheat
belt! Another change of landscape. Fields of gold as far as the eye can see!

We stopped off at
Hyden to visit the famous Wave Rock. It is one of WA’s most photographed
attractions.

Wave rock is located
4km east of Hyden in a 160ha bush reserve. It is a spectacular granite
formation reaching over 15m high and thought to be in excess of 2700 million
years old.

The ‘wave’ is
approximately 110m long on the northen side of a granite outcrop called Hyden
Rock. It looks like an enourmous wave ready to break and it is streked with
rusty red, ochre and sandy grey. These bands of colour resemble the rolling
motions of the ocean.

Formation of the rock

Wave rock’s rounded
shape has been caused by weathering and water erosion which has undercut the
base and left a rounded overhang. Water from the springs running down the rock
during wetter months dissolve minerals adding to the coloring of the wave.

Atfter having had a
climb around the rock, we went for a walk around the salt lakes nearby.

History of the area

While the aborigines
were the first inhabitants to the area, it is believed that they gave the
district a wide berth during the past century and a half. Many stones used by
the aborigines have been found on their campsites throughout the area and
painted hand marks can still be seen on rocks at the Humps.

The Sandalwooders are
believed to be the first white men in the area. The earliest recorded farming
was in 1922 and descendants of these settlers still live in Hyden. Wheat
production started in 1927 and it was carted to Kondinin until the railway from
Lake Grace reached Hyden in 1932.